The Merchant Marine Express

I’ve been asked a few times, regarding my job, about what it takes to become a Merchant Marine. Or specifically, what types of certificates or courses are needed in order to be at the propensity of a well seasoned Deck Officer.

This most mundane of a job, and the knack of a mariner to endure the wrath of the ocean or the sheer boredom, that commonly is associated with being at sea isn’t without its special list of credentials.
Much like what an airplane pilot may have to accomplish, a deck officer in the Merchant Marines
have to complete a gamut of certifications which may not be apparent to the average person. These courses can be completed in one of two ways; one way being in the confines of an academy in a matter of four years, or the second method; after an Able Seaman completes the
required 1,065 days of sea time, and only then can that individual qualify by taking the classroom portion of certificates.
Terrestrial Navigation is,foremost, a standard requirement. Introduction in understanding a Chart (or map), and able to decipher what Longitude and Latitude and positions represent is included in this sort of comprehension. Able to read what buoys, and other types of markers on the water symbolizing a fluid highway, is ingrained into a mariner’s thoughts. We call it chart plotting, and the second nature instinct that a mariner gets with plotting one’s position on a continual basis, at sea, didn’t happen without hours and hours of practice.
Along with Terrestrial Navigation, is the comprehension of Celestial Navigation. The ability to understand how the sun, stars and planets help with aiding in the derived position of one’s ship, will allow a mariner to compare the GPS reading with what is truly happening above. Remember, GPS is established by satellites in the Earth’s Atmosphere, and there could be a glitch which may disrupt the actual position, thereby, causing uncertainty for a ship’s journey. A well traveled merchant marine will contract the use of a Sextant,(an instrument used to view a celestial body and derive its altitude from a celestial horizon) and peer into outer space for a brief moment.

A course in simple Radar usage and the fundamentals in plotting another ‘contact’ (or ship) on paper and, thus, determining its relative motion or chance of ‘risk of collision’ is required. Most large ships have a form of automatic plotting on their radar sets. otherwise known as ARPA that automatically acquires contacts and makes this determination, for the mariner to ascertain.

Radio communication via the use of Inmarsat, or a network of satellites used for sending information wirelessly from ship to shore. A course in the understanding of the Global Marine Distress and Safety System or GMDSS and the aptitude required to use such related equipment such as monitoring or transmitting or receiving certain radio frequencies, is essential for a mariner, in order to work on a bridge of a ship.
Once the advanced courses on bridge equipment is completed, then other essential classes in Firefighting and lifesaving is established. Deck Officers are most often the Person-In-Charge at the scene of an incident which happens on board a ship. Whether it be a fire, flooding, or medical situation, one or more deck officers are likely to be present in facilitating the mishap.
Therefore, ongoing training in firefighting and medical are the norm in a mariner’s life. There’s no firehouse, hospital, or police department at sea and working as a team is what it takes for a situation to return to normal.
Since becoming a Merchant Marine, I’ve worked alongside the military and have had to successfully complete additional courses to meet the requirements of the armed services. Classes that teach damage control, or the ability of handling a catastrophe such as a collision or grounding, and the instruction on the use of materials needed to fix the problem. I’ve also taken courses on how to direct a helicopter in order to safely evacuate a sick or injured victim from the deck of a ship. This is quite fun as you are literally, standing under a hovering CH-46 tandem rotor weighing more than 15 tons on a tarmac and doing practice signals as experienced flight instructors are evaluating your every move!
There’s more to the life of a mariner than just standing on a bridge or wheelhouse of a ship and making it turn. Every new trip I embark on,I learn something new to add to my portfolio of experiences. But as special as is the trade of a mariner, it can look spectacular to the untrained eye, yet be seemingly boring to us who work onboard. However, it’s just a job; A job on the deep blue sea!!
Have a good day!

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